TIME AND DAY: 12:00
PM - SATURDAY
ROOM: ROOM B
The Writers’ Guild is the trade union representing writers in TV, radio, theatre, books, poetry, film, online and video games for the UK, and is currently involved in revolutionary collective union agreements with broadcasters and producers.
Gail Renard screenwriter & TV chair, will be looking at how the development of digital online services is affecting the way writers for television work and get paid.
Senior guild member Bernie Corbett will be running a session on TV and Film contracts, the current trend in writing for lower budgets, and the new radical concept of “joint venture agreement’s” where the writer becomes part of the company running the project, gaining more creative control and security.
By joining the Guild you can help make your voice even stronger. So come to hear about the issues currently affecting you as a writer that you need to know, now more than ever.
Gail Renard - Television Chair | Writers' Guild UK
WHY SHOULD YOU LISTEN TO HER…? Because she's a BAFTA award-winning television writer and performer. Oh and because she became mates with John and Yoko
after sneaking into their Bed-In. No really!
Gail Renard is a BAFTA award-winning television writer and performer, and her work includes many BBC, ITV and C4 comedy and children’s series, as well as films, radio and stage
plays.
Her latest book, GIVE ME A CHANCE, is based on her true story of sneaking into John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous Bed-In for peace to get an interview for her school newspaper, and the
lasting friendship which resulted.
She’s also associated with the BRITISH COMEDY AWARDS, both as a judge and presenter.
Gail is the current Television Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. She passionately defends writers’ rights both in the real and digital worlds.
Bernie Corbett - Trade Unionist | Writers' Guild UK
WHY SHOULD YOU LISTEN TO HIM…? Because he's been the General Secretary of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain since 2000.
BIOGRAPHY
Bernie Corbett is a British trade unionist and former journalist. He has been General Secretary of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain since 2000. In his newspaper career Bernie Corbett was chief sub-editor of The Guardian (London) and chief features sub-editor of The Independent (London). These are the UK’s two most liberal progressive national daily newspapers.
Throughout his journalistic career Bernie Corbett was an activist in the National Union of Journalists and was elected as National Treasurer, Editor of the NUJ journal “Journalist”,
and organiser/chief negotiator for national newspapers. He also served as organiser/negotiator for freelance journalists. Bernie Corbett is an expert on the UK media and an
experienced negotiator with all the main newspaper and broadcasting organisations.
In his role as General Secretary of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain he conducts extensive negotiations with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Independent Television
(ITV), independent producers, theatre managers and others. He covers TV, film, radio, new media and print publishing. Bernie Corbett is a skeptical humanist and lives in unfashionable
South-East London.